Mostly Williams, A Little Johnson, No Doughty and All Penalties

Hot damn, holy shit, we won a hockey game. Better yet, the Kings managed to avoid coming home with a losing record as they snuffed out the Philadelphia Flyers’ perfect record with an overtime win, courtesy of Jack Johnson.

Let’s start with Johnson, the overtime hero who has now won both of the Kings’ games for them with power play goals in the extra 5. The goal was actually all Richards, so for me, the real story of the night for Jackie boy was his defensive play.

While Matt Greene did his best to break the record for most minor penalties by a player in one game, Johnson exhibited some of the best defense I’ve ever seen him play. Jim Fox wouldn’t shut up about his one-on-one play and rightfully so. Jack’s stick was on fire and his positioning was outstanding, forcing players wide and blocking what shooting lanes the opposition found.

While Jack, with some rock solid goaltending by Jonny Q, helped keep the Flyers mostly off the board, Justin Williams ensured the Kings were on it. 2 goals for perhaps the most exhilarating player on the team, both scored by hard work through, get this, the slot! I know, I know, it exists outside Murray’s home plate and our players aren’t supposed to go to those dirty areas when the boards are so soothing, like a baby’s crib, and the blue line is as irreplaceable as a mother’s nipple, but goddamnit Williams is his own man and when he wants to drive through the slot, that’s exactly what he’s gonna do come hell or high water.

I guess I should mention something about the Flyers, something other than ‘I want Giroux on my team’. Let’s talk about Wayne Simmonds. He looked good. Well, not literally, because he looked horrendously bad in orange. I usually think orange and black go well together, but in this case either Simmonds is just too black or Philly’s jerseys are too orange. Or maybe Wayne is too skinny. If Jack Skellington got puked on by a pumpkin then fell down a dirty chimney, you’d get Simmonds in a Flyers jersey. But still, he looked good…playing hockey. He was the same tenacious guy we all came to love. However, after his first few shifts he was hounded relentlessly by Willie Mitchell, who jammed him up against the boards nearly every time Wayne dared carry the puck into our zone. I’d say Mitchell stuck to him like white on rice, but I don’t want to offend any Asian people.

Speaking of Matt Greene, have you ever seen more penalties in a game? You probably have, the last time Greene played. Matt’s count alone was sufficient for two hockey games, but these refs were particular whistle happy. Did I mention Chris Pronger is an asshole?

But seriously folks, the Kings played a solid game. This was by far their best effort in the young season, despite patches where the Flyers pressed harder than four fat fucks fighting for space in a Fiat. Notice that none of our offense really came from point shots. Sure, the point play factored in on all three goals, but not in the way our system is normally designed. On Williams’ first, Mitchell lobbed a perfect saucer to Gagne on the left half wall, who fed Williams cutting through the slot. On the second, Johnson kept the play alive at the right point before feeding Williams who danced his way through both sides of Bryzgalov’s peripheral vision. The overtime winner was scored by Richards creeping his way in from the left point with two fake shots, the second resulting in a slap pass to Jack who waited with stick on ice to the side of the crease. All the goals scored within 10 feet of the net, not one of them from so much as an attempted point shot on goal. Which brings me to my one major gripe for this game, or rather, aneurysm inducing major psychotic fucking hatred; the 5-on-3 power play.

You expected me write about it? Screw that noise, I could barely watch the damn thing.

Finally let’s talk briefly about Drew Doughty, who played a remarkable two shifts. Perhaps we’ll post video later and discuss whether or not newcomer goon Rinaldo’s hit was clean or not. Maybe we won’t. I don’t particularly care. What bothers me is that Doughty put himself in that position needlessly. I love a good old end to end Dewey rush through zones as much as anyone, but less than 2 minutes into a game, is it really necessary to gain the blue line and then put your head down and try to skate through 3 opposing players? I know what he was trying to do, there was some light at the end of that ego trip and if it were the third period of a game we are losing, by all means please make that play. While I will not say he got what he deserved with that bone rattling hit, I will insist that he needlessly put himself in harm’s way. Drew may have some serious hockey sense, but no one ever claimed he had it in its common form.

Oh well, luckily his head seems to be fine and it’s just a minor shoulder injury. We now put our faith in fancy Beverly Hills doctors, one of life’s necessary evils.

So go now, drink more beer. Celebrate and enjoy your Saturday night with the satisfaction that we made it through a brutal road trip with a winning record. The next game is Tuesday against the St. Louis Blues. It’s not a big deal, it’s just the home opener. Save your voices my friends.

20 replies

… He had some good moments in his own zone, but his overall defensive game was still not good or not even adequate. The ice is usually tilted toward the Kings’ net when Johnson is out there; today was no exception – in 17 1/2 even strength minutes, the Kings had just five shots on goal and allowed 13. When Jack was off the ice, the Kings (at even strength) had 21 shots on goal and allowed 21.

Jack gets some love for scoring the game-winning goal, and his fine job in keeping the puck in the offensive zone, which led to Williams’ second goal, was a key play.

I do agree that Mitchell had a fantastic game defensively. Drewiske struggled, and again I have no idea why he played. When Greene wasn’t in the box, he was playing effectively. I thought Richardson was solid. I’m not sure why Clifford played only four minutes, but he did. Kramer had a very nice game. Quick is starting the season very well, just like he did last season; read into that what you will. I don’t know what Lewis was thinking in the moments leading up to the Carle PP goal – I guess he went into vapor-lock. Scuderi’s status: still rock solid.

Oh God that Carle goal was awful. However I blame Greene. To me it is his job to protect the other side of the front of the net. Its Lewis’s job to go up high, just like he did. Greene should have been playing the position and not the man.

He’s just a negative nancy from what I can tell. I’m not saying this to argue, but it seems almost everything he says is the complete opposite of what most feel like. I think he just likes being different.

I agree. Whiskey had a pretty good game. JJ also lead all defensemen in qual/comp. It’s a wonder there were more shots. JJ was on the ice whenever Philly’s best offensive players were on the ice. JJ was also shifted with 4 different partners during the game. He had some blocked shots, and created more offense than any other Kings defenseman. Not counting the power play where he scored the game winner.

… Looking at the game again (well, a condensed game) today, I think I was probably too hard on Drewiske. He did get put into a lot of tough situations out there yesterday, against some quality opposition.

And my numbers were wrong with Jack. When he was on the ice at even strength, the Kings were indeed out-shot 13 to 5. But when Jack was off the ice, the Kings were out-shot as well, albeit by a smaller margin (12-9).

The Kings managed just 14 shots in almost 42 minutes of even strength play, not impressive to say the least.

If I didn’t know any better I thought the ex GNR guitarist was in the crowds with all those penalties. Greene loves to slash guys. I don’t think he can help it. I would rather have him lift the guys stick instead, if he get to it but turning around and then taking a whack at the guy is usually gonna get called now days.

I thought JJ played a great game. That Rinaldo guy well…if it were a Flyer coming down the slot like that with the puck I’d want our guys to level him also. I don’t blame Doughty for coming in strong like that. I think when you’ve got a head of steam like that and you see some ice you’re pumped but cutting across like that you gotta sorta understand that someone might just level you like that. Whatever…hope he’s only out a game or two and nothing more.

I thought the team played well enough. Not quite sure how much Westgarth added to the team but…evidently it scared the Flyers.

Its only my impression, but watching that game I can’t shake the feeling – despite the fact that this is the only meeting on the schedule, these two teams went at it like they expect to see each other again…

A lot of hype for this game. That carried over. The feeling I can’t shake is whether we win this game without Quick standing on his head. This was a game where the players overcame the coaching and got the W. That is exactly what it will take this season.

We got a Tippet today, hopefully a few more follow at home. I figure if we end with a couple more Tippets than last year, we may not Murray in the playoffs and Tippet the first round and maybe the second.

Stop all this fussing. We’re coming off a nasty road trip — a road trip where we’re assessed two home games — and are coming back with a 2-1-1 record.

As fucked up as everybody says our power play is, it was still instrumental in our two wins — thankfully in overtime, not in shoot-outs.

We pulled this win outa Philly with a $7-mil star injured and a $4.25-mil “star” with his ass glued to the bench. So let’s pause a moment and reflect appreciatively either on our grit or our good luck.

Werent we on the road for like the past month……seems like a pretty good record to me. Let the boys come home and HOLY CRAP GET YOUR HEAD UP DOUGHNUT!!!!!! AHHHHH!!!!…….@#&^%@$%@&^%#@*&^#*&@^*&…….I swear I WASNT DRINKING! YOU NEVER READ THIS!!! PRANK POSTER PRANK POSTER!!!!!…….(footsteps, ………car door……..squealing tires……….cat………….whore………………………….penner…………….parse……)